3M highlights important worldwide trends in supplies science and charts its personal way ahead

3M Forward is a plan that highlights how supplies science-primarily based innovation at scale can support society progress amid 3 unstoppable forces shaping our planet: climate modify and resource scarcity, shifting demographics and social modify and convergence of the physical and digital worlds. As element of 3M Forward, 3M scientists, engineers and specialists share how their options are assisting to develop a brighter future.

Mark Copman, 3M senior vice president, new development ventures, says: “The worldwide forces highlighted inside 3M Forward are disruptive in nature, but we see them as catalysts for new advances in science and constructive societal influence.

“Science has the possible to resolve the toughest worldwide challenges, and 3M’s diverse worldwide portfolio and vast knowledge make us optimally positioned to envision what’s probable and develop what’s subsequent.” 

Climate modify and resource scarcity

Rising prices of worldwide improvement and decreasing levels of organic sources have contributed to negatively impacting the atmosphere and accelerating worldwide climate modify. With no swift options, the effects of climate modify will continue to hit vulnerable men and women, economies and ecosystems – whilst expanding into new geographies.

According to the 3M State of Science Index, original third celebration analysis performed by Ipsos, 93 % of men and women globally are concerned about the consequences of climate modify and 90 % think science can support reduce its effects.

Gayle Schueller, 3M senior vice president and chief sustainability officer, says: “We see the broadening consensus for climate action and expanding demand for revolutionary and sustainable options reaching an inflection point.

“Our robust innovation pipeline makes it possible for us – and our consumers – to accelerate and scale up current science-primarily based options in the vital places of decarbonization, power transition and circular economy.”

One particular way 3M is accelerating the delivery of new climate options to contribute to a low carbon economy is via collaborations, reflected in the company’s current partnership announcement with Svante. 3M and Svante will collaborate to create Direct Air Capture (DAC) items for sale to the Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) sector.

Moreover, the enterprise is building an revolutionary 3M Nanostructured Supported Iridium Catalyst Powder that could make the production of green hydrogen extra expense-productive, effective and obtainable – thereby enabling a extra sustainable fuel option for manufacturing and industries exactly where electrification is tricky, such as extended-haul trucking or steelmaking.

3M is also scaling worldwide availability and applications for its current portfolio of climate options, which are making power-effective residences and corporations, minimizing raw material use and waste, optimizing electric cars and modernizing the grid to integrate renewable energy generation in markets about the planet.

Shifting demographics and social modify

Higher worldwide connectivity implies shifts to education, sustainability, equity and technologies. It can have impacts far beyond their geographic origin. These shared social modifications offer you private and skilled possibilities but also present challenges. For instance, urbanization prices continue to develop as the planet redefines the future of function and consumerism with technologies, but a diminishing population in extra rural places can generate labor shortages and influence provide chains.

Mike Kesti, senior vice president, 3M corporate analysis lab, says: “3M is innovating to meet the shifting demands and values of men and women about the planet – no matter whether they require options for the evolving nature of their function or inside their residences.

“3M’s collection of technologies platforms, coupled with our robust and worldwide manufacturing infrastructure, allow us to effectively scale and provide impactful options to our consumers and society.”

The items and technologies that emerge from 3M’s innovation pipeline are as diverse as the men and women whose lives they strengthen. In healthcare facilities, the company’s Clinician Options Portfolio is minimizing the administrative burden on wellness care providers so they can superior concentrate on their sufferers and generate superior wellness outcomes.

To address labor challenges inside manufacturing whilst enhancing productivity and good quality, 3M is introducing automated technologies like the 3M Finesse-it Robotic Paint Repair Program, which operates with third-celebration vision systems to automatically determine and repair frequent paint defects on automotive production lines.

And to empower new methods of functioning, 3M lately launched The Post-it App for Microsoft Teams. The app offers the technologies to help hybrid teams, permitting workers to share hand-written notes with their colleagues and take action on projects, no matter exactly where they reside or function, offering extra freedom and flexibility.

Convergence of the physical and digital planet

Application, sensors, artificial intelligence and human-machine interfaces make up a speedy-evolving worldwide ecosystem that powers sector, commerce and everyday life. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, men and women are extra engaged with these interfaces and extra dependent on them.

Fast technological advancements and connected systems are shaping a new reality exactly where the physical and digital increasingly overlap—an intersectional atmosphere exactly where 3M thrives.

John Banovetz, 3M executive vice president, chief technologies officer and environmental duty, says: “3M technologies provide extra seamless connectivity in between the physical and digital worlds.

“At 3M, we are advancing industrial automation to streamline processes and leverage 3M supplies in new methods, boosting the energy and functionality of our customers’ items and optimizing their production processes.”

3M is top the way in optical supplies technologies and enabling expanding sectors such as virtual reality (VR). 3M has been an sector leader in effectively demonstrating the viability of pancake lenses in VR headsets. Enabled by 3M’s patented reflective polarizer technologies, pancake optics lessen the size of headsets and substantially strengthen image resolution.

These advantages are fueling future development and adoption of VR technologies as it promises to turn into extra mainstream. In industrial applications, advancements such as the 3M On Demand Bonding Program featuring 3M VHB Extrudable Tape blend automation with adhesive science to support lessen waste and strengthen manufacturing course of action efficiency.

And for shoppers, 3M is building connected options for current solution offerings, like the state-of-the-art Filtrete Intelligent HVAC Air Filter. This technologies assists trap and capture allergens and other microscopic particles, like bacteria and viruses, from the air in residences. It tracks the life of the filter primarily based on airflow and usage – not just time – so property owners under no circumstances have to be concerned about altering their filter also early or also late.

Delivering science-primarily based innovations at scale for a brighter tomorrow

As the transformative forces of climate modify and resource scarcity, shifting demographics and social modify and convergence of the physical and digital planet continue to shape our reality, 3M applies the newest supplies science-primarily based innovations and leverage its complete capabilities to provide meaningful options that support society progress.

With R&ampD capabilities in 55 nations and extra than 7,000 R&ampD specialists and scientists, 3M innovation has led to extra than 132,000 patents and 60,000 items across diverse industries. The outcomes and influence of 3M’s worldwide portfolio and deep knowledge let the enterprise to offer you scalable scientific options and support develop a brighter future for all.

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